Serum polyphenol oxidase activity (ceruloplasmin) in conventional laboratory animals and man.

The optimum pH for ceruloplasmin as polyphenol oxidase (EC 1.10.3.2) activity was determined in human serum (pH 5.4) and the serum of conventional laboratory animals--the rat (pH 5.2), mouse (pH 5.2), hamster (pH 5.3), guinea pig (pH 5.4), multimammate mouse (pH 5.2) and rabbit (pH 5.4). Determined at the optimum pH in 0.1M acetate buffer polyphenol oxidase activity fell in the sequence: rat--man--rabbit--mouse--multimammate mouse--hamster--guinea pig. Ceruloplasmin polyphenol oxidase activity was inhibited by 0.1M phosphate buffer in the mouse, rat and multimammate mouse, but not in the other species. It was inhibited by 0.05M citrate and 0.1M phthalate buffer in all the species tested.